Undergarment



July 6, 1943- E. G. MADDEN ET AL UNDERGARMEN T Filed July 22, 1942 M0 Y ON WAM m Emp o WOM. n 1MM U MM# R WA MM ME m B Patented July 6, 1943 UNDERGARMENT Edward G. Madden, Kearney, N. J., and Benjamin Murdock, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to Wolfe & Lang, Inc., alcorporation of New York Application .liiy 22, 1942, Serial No. 451,884

rThis invention relates to undergarments, and particularly to the girdle or corset type having crotch and encircling leg portions as integral elements thereof.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a ladys undergarment having as an integral element thereof crotch and leg portions.

which fit the wearer smoothly and snugly and which are composed of non-elastic threads.

Another object is to provide an improved tting undergarment which has a two-piece .crotch and leg portion'made of non-elastic material and so designed that it is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

The invention has for its salient feature the use of a two-piece crotch and leg portion made of a non-elastic fabric and out along the bias such that the material is eXtensible and stretches vertically on the wearer in the region of the crotch to provide a snug and smooth fit without wrinkling. The term bias is here employed toV designate a line or cut cbliquely across the threads of the fabric. y

Among the advantages of the present invention are: The undergarment provides a smooth and snug t on the wearer and gives a better appearance than known undergarments which ernploy either rubber or non-elastic fabrics; the stretchable crotch and leg portions require no rubber threads, which at the present time are unobtainable due to war conditions; and the garment, due to its design, is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

A more detailed description follows in conjunction with a drawing wherein:

Figs. l and 2 illustrate front and back elevationa1 views. respectively, of a garment embodying the principles of the invention;

3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the manner of attachment of the two-piece crotch;

Fig. l is an elevational View cf the detail of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows the pattern of each of the two pieces which `form the crotch and leg portions of the undergarment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a view showing the leg portion folded into tubular form.

Throughout the figures of the drawing, the same parts are represented by the same reference numerals.

Referring to the drawing, the girdle type garment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 embodies as an essential element thereof a crotch portion composed of leg portions I and 2' of non-elastic fabric,

cut along the bias.

onal cutting of the fabric these portions are extensible or stretchable in a vertical direction when seen on the wearer.

The leg portions l and 2 are each foldedin: their manufacture to provide tubular passages'. for the legs and are sewed together at the crotch by parallel lines of stitching in a straight linev 3: by a strip or binder also cut along the bias.` This is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and Il.k

The front of the garment .(note Fig. 1) .is

provided with body fabric portions 5 and B whichl are stitched along the center by the same strip" or binder 4 which secures the leg portions together. Portions 5 and 6 and leg portions I and '2 are designed to have arcuate or curved lines 58 and 9 at which they are stitchedtogether. The

back cf the garment (note Fig. i2) is provided with a body fabric portion 'I which has a straight bottom edge iii which is stitched to the back parts of the leg portions I and 2.v Side strips IIJ'and l2 connect the front and back body portions together and also enclose the open sides of the leg portions, as shown.

The manner in which the leg portions I and 2 are constructed will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 5 and 6'. Fig. 5 shows the pattern from which both leg portions are made. The non-elastic warp and Woof threads are shown at a slant while the arrow I3 indicates, generally, the bias line along which the fabric has been cut to provide extensibility or stretch in the vertical direction. Fig. 6 shows how one of the leg portions is folded during the process of the manufacture of the garment to provide a tubular passage for the leg of the wearer. Due to the fact that the two leg portions are stitched together along the crotch in a straight line at 3, there is provided the fullness which is needed by the wearer in this region.

Suitable opening and closure means, such as a zipper or snap fasteners, or hooks and eyes are provided at the portion labeled I5, to one side of the front section.

In one embodiment now c-n the market and manufactured in accordance with the teachings of the invention (and here given by way of example only) the non-elastic crotch and leg portions I and 2 are made of cotton or rayon, body `portions 5, 6 made of non-elastic and nonstretchable material, body portions I made of fabric which is elastic only in the vertical direction, and strips II and I2 made of elastic ma- Putting it yin other words,- the warp and woof threads of the portions I and` 2 are non-elastic, but due to the oblique or diag terial stretchable only in the horizontal direction. Although cotton or rayon have been mentioned for the leg portions, they can be made of any other kind of non-elastic material cut along the bias, such as nylon, silk, etc. Although body portion l and strips l I and l2 have been described above as elastic, it should be understood that they can be made of any suitable material. It is preferred, however, that the front body portions 5 and 6 be non-elastic, as mentioned above.

What is claimed is:

1. An undergarment of the girdle type having as an integral element theerof a two-piece crotch, each piece of which is cut along the bias and composed of a fabric material having non-elastic Warp and Woof threads, each piece of said crotch being folded to form a tubular passage for one of the legs of the wearer, a non-elastic body portion for at least the front of said garment and secured to the top edges of said crotch pieces, and means for securing said two pieces together on a straight line in the center of the garment whereby said crotch is stretchable in a vertical direction as seen looking at the wearer.

2. An undergarment of the girdle type Comprising a front body fabric portion of non-elastic material, a rear fabric body portion, and an integral two-piece fabric crotch, each piece of which is cut along the bias and composed of a material having non-elastic Warp and Woof threads, each piece of said crotch being folded to form a tubular passage for one of the legs of the wearer, the top edges of the two crotch pieces in the front of the garment being higher in the center than at the sides and in the back of the garment forming a straight line, stitching securing the bottom edges of said frontand rear body portions to the top edges of said crotch pieces, and a strip of material securing said two crotch pieces together on a straight line in the center of the garment.

3. A ladys undergarment having as an integral element thereof a two-piece crotch, each piece of which is cut along the bias and composed of a Cil fabric material having non-elastic warp and Woof threads, each piece of said crotch being folded to form a tubular passage for one of the legs of the wearer, a waist portion for said garment above the top of said crotch pieces, and means for securing said two crotch pieces together on a straight line in the center of the garment, whereby said crotch is stretchable in a vertical direction as seen looking at the wearer.

4. A ladys undergarment having as an integral element thereof a two-piece crotch, each piece of which is out along the bias and com posed of a fabric material having non-elastic warp and woof threads, each piece of said crotch being folded to form a, tubular passage for one of the legs of the wearer, front and rear body portions stitched to the top edges of said crotch pieces, and a strip of material securing said two crotch pieces together on a straight line in thc center of the garment.

5. An undergarment of the girdle type comprising front and rear body fabric portions of non-elastic material, and an integral two-piece fabric crotch, each piece of which is cut along the bias and composed of a material having nonelastic warp and woof threads, each piece of said crotch being folded to form a tubular passage for one of the legs of the wearer, the top edges of the two crotch pieces in the front of the garment being higher in the center than at the sides and in the back of the garment forming a straight line, stitching securing the bottom edges of said front and rear body portions to the top edges of said crotch pieces, side panels for said undergarment stitched to both front and rear body portions and to the sides of said crotch pieces, said side panels extending from the top to the bottom of said garment, and a strip of material securing said two crotch pieces together on a straight line in the center of the garment.

EDWARD G. MADDEN. BENJAMIN MURDOCK. 

